The present invention relates to message recording devices and methods for telephone systems, and more particularly to a message recording device and method in which plural message recording devices, contained within a toy, are connected to the telephone receiver via a radio frequency link and are selectively designated to record a message.
Various devices for recording messages received at a telephone receiver are known, such as the ubiquitous answering machine. Most such devices are intended to be operated by technically unsophisticated users, but generally fall well short of this goal. They are not "child's play"; and it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a message recording device with different capabilities than conventional recording devices that is "child's play" to operate.
It is desirable that the device be small so that it can fit inside a child's toy. While small recording devices that fit into toy bears are known, the recording devices are operated only from the toy bear. That is, there is no way to remotely operate the recorder to leave a message. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,514 issued to Lacombe, et al. Jan. 18, 1994. Thus, a parent desiring to leave a message for a child on the bear's recording device cannot do so from the office or when otherwise away from home.
A conventional telephone message recording device for leaving messages from a remote location is connected to a telephone receiver, and records messages received at the telephone receiver when the receiver is placed off hook electronically by the recording device. A memory device (e.g., tape player, analog solid state storage) records the messages, and may be played back and heard by anyone able to operate the device.
Some callers may want to leave different messages for different recipients, and thus it is desirable to provide another message recording device that may also receive messages received at the telephone receiver so that callers may leave separate messages on separate recorders that are destined for different recipients. As is known, a second message recording device may be connected to the first device by a radio link. A caller may select which one of the two recording devices is to receive a message, and the recipient of the message will be assured a modicum of privacy in that the message is not available on the other recording device. A caller may include a code in his incoming signal to indicate whether the first or second device is to receive and record the incoming message if the indicated one of the first and second devices is not answered. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,624 issued to Obana, et al. May 31, 1994.
However, such message recording devices are often too large to be portable, and clearly unsuitable for use by a child. Further, there is no indication how a multiplicity of recording devices may be accessed with an RF link from a single telephone receiver (Obana, et al. use an RF link to only one recorder.) The ability to provide a single telephone line with a pager/recorder system with multiple users is desirable as this ability makes such a system available for home use (where only one telephone line is typically found).
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for recording telephone messages at plural recorders that obviates the problems of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for recording voice messages received at a single telephone receiver on a selected one of plural recorders that are connected to the telephone receiver with an RF link.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for recording telephone messages at plural recorders in which access to the multiple recorders is achieved with a first code signal and a specific recorder is selected with a second code signal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel child's toy and transceiver system in which a telephone message may be recorded at a child's toy connected to a telephone receiver with a radio transceiver system.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.